The new North-west. [volume] (Deer Lodge, Mont.) 1869-1897, 1887-12-02


McCosh the degree of A. NJ All his
subsequent work has been in the
line of that essay. He was born student
of the laws of mind and the moral nature.
He was ordained in 1885 q minister of the
Established Church of Standardization
ately called the kirk-but in 1S43 he
joined in the secession and assisted in
establishing the so called Free Church of
Scotland" His first noted work was en-
titled 'Methed of the Divine Government
Physical anG Moral The title indi-
Gates the daring nature of the inquiry.
The book was, in fact, an attempt to
revolutionize the methods of theology
and philosophy then current. In the
days of the "Hamiltonians''-ind
in all the days before McCosh--
the tendency had been to begin all in
quiries into supernal things by assuming
certain great principles and certain In
tuitions and reasoning from them to con-
clusions as to what God must be and man
ought to be. The young disputant at
tempted nothing less than complete re-
versal and the adoption of substantially
the same system In theology which the
present school of scientists applies in
natural things viz: Begin with the
proved and admitted facts of the physical
world and from them draw conclusions as
to the unseen.
hs9a} he ri f1leMedd tbs ID gtat urhe
in the same line. Both works were ex-
ceedingly timely, for they circulated just
before that wonderful series of deductions
and assertions which the public knows by
the vague name of "Darwinism" "a
system which attempts in material
things what McCosh had in spiritual.
AS the authop had to some extent antici-
pated the argument against Christianity
drawn from fDarwinism" and by
Herbert Spencerism, his works OBJ
tanned a high reputation both in
Europe and America. His con-
clusion we may thus state in our
own words: The distinction is only con-
yentional, for the SO called natural is buta
minor system of the great supernatural
from which it springs. a miracle, for in
stance, is not violation OF law; it is sim
ply the operation OF another law IA higher
law, if you please, rs o state statute is in
operative where United States law ap-
plies to the case.
In 1851 he was appointed professor of
logic and metaphysics in Queens college,
Belfast, and there wrote Intentions OF
the Mind Inductively Investigated"-in
the same line as his former works In
1866 he made tour of the United States,
and his reputation, already great, was so
much increased that he was urged to ac-
cept the presidency of Princeton college,
which he did, and in 1868 removed TO that
city. Subsequent events, especially his
amusing little episode with DIR. Oliver
Wendell Holmes, cannot be understood
without noting II few facts in the previous
history of Princeton.
The college of New Jersey was founded
in 174G, opened in 1747 at Elizabeth and
removed in 1851 to Princeton, the first
structure being called Nassau hall, in
honor of William, Of Orange. One presi-3
dent of this college, DR.. Witherspoon, and
two graduates, Richard Stockton and
Benjamin. Rush, were sigaers OF the
Declaration OF Independence; nine gradu-a
ates were in the convention that framed
the constitution of the United States, and
its record for patriotism and ability has
never been tarnished. Rev. Aaron Burr
was its second president, and the illus
trious Jonathan Edwards its third. This
gives point to the humorous lines OF DIR.
Holmes SO widely quoted last year. Rev.
DIR. John Mclean was president from 1894
to 1868, when Rev. DR.. James McCosh
succeeded him. Harvard college con-
ferred the degree of LII. ID. upon the new
president and his accession was hailedaat
princeton as q joyful event 1t awakened
more interest than any previous eTent OF
that nature in America. and his inangura-